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Formula: Pb2TeO5
Tellurate
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Specific gravity: 8.721 calculated
Streak: Pale yellow
Colour: Yellow
Solubility: Immediately decomposes in dilute hydrochloric acid, turning opaque white, expanding, and leaving
an insoluble crystalline residue of PbCl2 (cotunnite).
Environments
Localities
There are two co-type localities, the Aga Mine and Bird Nest drift, both at Otto Mountain, Baker, Soda
Mountains, Silver Lake Mining District, San Bernardino County, California, USA. At the type localities
ottoite is rare and occurs on fracture surfaces and in small vugs in
quartz veins. Species observed in direct association with
ottoite include acanthite, bromine-rich
chlorargyrite, gold,
iodargyrite, khinite,
wulfenite, housleyite,
markcooperite,
thorneite and timroseite.
Other species identified in the assemblages include anglesite,
atacamite, boleite,
brochantite,
burckhardtite, calcite,
caledonite, celestine,
cerussite,
chalcopyrite,
chrysocolla, devilline,
diaboleite, fluorite,
fornacite, galena,
goethite, hessite,
jarosite, kuranakhite,
linarite, malachite,
mimetite, mottramite,
munakataite,
murdochite, muscovite,
perite,
phosphohedyphane,
plumbojarosite, pyrite,
schieffelinite,
vanadinite,
vauquelinite,
paratimroseite and
telluroperite.
It is inferred that the secondary
tellurium minerals, as well as the other
secondary minerals, formed in a multitude of local
micro-environments that resulted from the partial oxidation of the
primary sulphides during or following
brecciation of the veins. The
tellurium would have been provided by the oxidation of
hessite and perhaps other, as yet unrecognised,
tellurides. The later generation of
quartz mineralisation then recemented the
breccia, effectively isolating and protecting from further
alteration the delicate secondary minerals, as well as
the remaining sulphides
(AM 95.8.1329-1336).
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